Drawing the Human Figure: A Tutorial for Beginners

The human body is extremely complex thanks to its many shapes and contours. Figure drawing, as a result, is a skill that you must learn. It does not come naturally. However, when you learn how to simplify the body and break it down into smaller parts accomplishing this task becomes easier. Once figure drawing has been mastered, you obtain a better understanding of how the body works, how it appears from various angles, and how light will highlight the body or put certain parts into shadow. However, due to the differences in humans, you can never truly expect to become fully proficient in this art. This does not mean you should not attempt to do so, nevertheless. Why should you learn this skill and how will it be of benefit to you?

Creativity

Creativity is crucial in many fields. While people often associate this characteristic with individuals in graphic design, artists, and musicians, anyone can benefit from becoming more creative. An attorney uses this creativity to craft a defense for his or her client that a jury will listen to, while a doctor may find a creative way to use an existing drug to help a patient. Individuals who are continuously learning find they benefit from thinking outside the box thanks to the new knowledge they have gained. As the human figure is so complex, you must regularly work on improving your skill with regard to how to draw a human body, and this only helps to boost your creativeness regardless of which field you work in or what hobbies you have.

Expanding the Knowledge Base

People are instinctively curious for the most part. However, you must know which questions to ask to increase your knowledge. One way to determine how best to get the desired answer is to develop a question and then find several ways to ask it. By doing so, you can narrow the question in a way that ensures the answer that is needed is obtained. By learning how to draw step by step for beginners, you learn more about the human body and how it relates to other aspects of their life. However, as a question is answered, five more will probably arise. Why is this the case?

Individuals, including you, often move through life noticing things but never taking the time to study them. You have a superficial understanding of a person or object but never go into any depth. When you learn to draw the human figure, you understand more about proportions, relationships, measurements, and more. As a result, you learn more about the world around you, yourself, and other people. This information benefits you in all areas of life, as the skills learned can be transferred to other aspects of your life.

Uncovering the Hidden Layers

As mentioned above, people often only glance at something. You never stop to consider the hidden layers, and this can be detrimental. In general, humans tend to form a first impression when meeting someone and retain that impression throughout all interactions with the person. You don’t truly take the time to dig any deeper. When you learn how to draw step by step for beginners the human body, you discover how each layer is related and how they work together as a whole which can also be used in other areas of life, such as when you are learning more about an individual.

Simplifying Life

You simply cannot draw everything you see when it comes to the human body. The amount of detail in this complex system is simply too great. As a result, you need to determine which details are of most importance and which can be eliminated without affecting the overall meaning of the image. Furthermore, the editing of the form to a more basic structure tells a great deal about you, as what you choose to leave out becomes as important as what you choose to include in the final image.

Building Upon a Shape

Drawing the human figure requires you start with a basic shape and turn it into a more complex image, one filled with details. You learn how to do the same in life. Once you have mastered the skill of drawing the human body, other tasks can be broken down into smaller steps and prioritized. Each step can then be carried out and added to with time until the final goal is reached. In this case, it would be the final image of the human body.

Patience

Due to the intricacy of the human body, if you want to draw the human figure, you will need to have an abundance of patience. The body must be drawn line by line and body system by body system. This is a process that doesn’t happen overnight, and when using a model, you must work around their schedule. You must be ready to complete the task in the given time frame while still paying attention to the detail for the optimal finished product.

Respect

Any artist must respect the human body when they see how beautiful and complex it is, and you are no different. It’s hard to explain how so many unique components can come together to create a thing of art, one that sustains human life and all it entails. When you do learn this skill, you find you have a better appreciation for humanity as a whole and for all individuals on the globe.

Mediums

Every artist will have their preferred medium when it comes to how to draw a human body. Some individuals choose to use a large drawing board when drawing the human figure, but others opt for a small sketchbook. Pencils may be used, charcoal is always an option, and pastels are the medium selected by some. Sculpture, oil paint, and watercolor are other options to be considered, and computer-assisted drawings may be of help to many people. You need to select the one you are most comfortable with. However, keep in mind the amount of time that will be needed to complete the work and choose the medium accordingly. For young children, a rapid method is needed. Older adults can hold a pose for a longer period of time, allowing for more options. Regardless of which medium is selected, remember the above information for a final product you’ll want to share with others.

Classes and Tutorials

You may lack the skill needed to draw the human body but fortunately there are resources available for you. If you have never used watercolors, you will find there are classes designed specifically for you and the same is true if you wish to try your hand at oil painting. Look for basic drawing tutorials that offer step by step instructions to help with this process.

One thing to keep in mind when completing this drawing is don’t expect a perfect image when the work is completed. In fact, the complexity of the body leads many to spend their entire life trying to accurately capture the human figure in its glory. You may find you never succeed, but don’t give up. There is always something new to discover when it comes to the human form, and the more time you spend on this pursuit the more knowledge you will gain. Never give up. While it’s almost impossible to capture all the details in a work of art, the more you work at doing so, the closer you become.

Human Anatomy

To draw the human figure, you must understand human anatomy. Without this knowledge, you cannot determine the correct proportions, the appropriate perspective, and more. It becomes difficult to determine accurate contours without this information, and shading the body properly is a challenge. When looking at different drawing lessons or classes, be sure to ask if this information is included, as it is extremely beneficial as the process moves forward.

Parts of the Body

Each part of the body is unique yet all work together as a whole. Comprehensive courses tend to cover the different parts separately, from the hands and feet to the neck and torso. Learn what is covered in the course to obtain the best instruction regarding these various components and how they come together in one final figure. Furthermore, individuals come in many shapes and sizes and this needs to be remembered as the process moves forward. The course or lessons should be of help in accounting for these differences and similarities.

Once the basics have been mastered and the human figure can be drawn at rest, it’s time to take on a challenge. Consider painting a bodybuilder, one with different proportions than the average human, or ask a pregnant woman to be a model. Children at play should be captured through art and this is a challenge you may wish to take on. As every person is unique, there is no way to create the perfect image, but you can try as many new poses, models, and styles as possible in the quest to achieve this goal.